Hi everyone sorry this one's a bit short but it's mostly just setting up the next arc of the story, or as I like to call them the last stretch before reunion time, along with finally finding out Wren's story. We see Nora deal with it and also setting something up for future chapters. Anyway here it is. Let me know what you think. Enjoy.
After sending Dad a text letting him know that Wren and I were heading out we left. The car ride back to the penthouse was tense. Even Happy picked up on it and put the partition up in the limo when the car arrived he just knocked on the window.
We got up and rode up the elevator in silence. When we got into the penthouse I had had enough.
"Talk, Now." I said sternly.
"You want a drink?" Wren offered.
"No." I said sitting down crossing my legs and arms waiting for him to start.
"Where do you want me to start?"
"From the beginning." I said.
"All right. I already told you my parents were very wealthy and didn't have any extended family so when they died I got sent to an orphanage and that was true up until my fourth birthday when I teleported for the first time. The nuns freaked out and decided to call an expert." Wren said.
"Expert?" I said.
"Scientist that work with enhanced people. He took some samples and saw me teleport and I was taken from the orphanage. It was the eighties during the Thatcher administration and the end of the Cold War. By then the US and USSR were making peace but it wasn't enough. Between the two of them they had enough nuclear bombs to level the planet and Britain was right in the middle. Even with the armistice the USSR had an intelligence community that could destroy a country from the inside. MI6 couldn't compare to the agents produced by the Soviet Red Room and the KGB so they came up with their own program. A division of enhanced individuals trained from an early age to protect their country's interests."
"Child soldiers." I said.
"Essentially. We were trained to believe that the mission came before everything. And serving our country was the reason we were alive. The first time I killed someone I was seven. Foreign diplomats that wanted to adopt a child. I was sent in as their foster child. I walked into their room one night and slit their throats." He said getting this really distant look in his eyes.
"We were trained in teams of two, our other half was referred to as our brother or sister. Aiden was mine. The reason we were put in teams was that in the event we ever found our soulmate, our sibling would eliminate them for us. My soulmate, Amelia, I met her when I was fifteen out on assignment. She was the daughter of a diplomat we were sent to eliminate. It was her birthday party and Aiden recognized the name. He poisoned her drink along with her father's. I was indifferent and at the time I thought it was for the best. After everything I did, it was a mercy for her to not live knowing what a monster her soulmate was. I wasn't mad at Aiden, he just did what he was trained to but after that I had nothing to live for besides the mission. So that's what I did. I took every job, every assignment no matter how questionable it was I did it. I went to school and I worked. That was my life. Then one day it all changed. I was assigned to shadow a reporter. She was asking questions my superiors didn't like and I needed to find out who was leaking information to her. I followed her back to her flat and turns out she lived with her fiancé, Aiden."
"Protocol dictated I eliminate her and then eliminate Aiden for being the leak but I couldn't kill my brother, the only constant in my life. Instead I killed Beth. Aiden walked in and saw me do it, we fought and I let him get away. I looked through all of Beth's research and saw that the people I worked for didn't just do missions to protect the country but also acted as guns for hire. I tried to deny it at first but it wasn't until Budapest where I met Natasha and Clint that I realized how bad I had gotten. I had killed children and burned an entire orphanage to the ground and I didn't feel a single thing. It took Natasha beating me to a bloody pulp to finally snap out of it. Turns out the vitamins and shots they gave use were hallucinogenic drugs used to brain wash us into doing their bidding. The people I worked for realized what was going on and I helped Natasha and Clint take them down. After that I went back to using my real name and I went to medical school. Of course Aiden found me again and shit went to hell again. I joined the armed forces, met you and here we are." Wren said.
"So you're not actual brother wants to ruin your life and since I'm in your life I'm included in this?" I said.
"There might be a slight possibility he may be the cause of our recent string of bad luck."
"Slight possibility?"
"Fairly sure he killed my lawyer and gave the opposition your disclosure form?"
"What the fuck?" I said.
"Nora it's going to be okay." Wren said coming to my side. He tried putting a hand on my shoulder but I unconsciously flinched.
"How? He literally shows up in the most unexpected way and he knows how to make both of our lives a living hell. He's a trained assassin…"
"Also happens to be a shape shifter." Wren added.
"Seriously… Fucking hell Wren, these are the types of things you tell someone you're about to marry when they ask, before we do this is there anything I should know. Why the fuck didn't you say anything?!"
"I was trying to avoid this." Wren said. "You're freaking the hell out."
"I just found out my husband / best friend has been lying to my face since the day I met him."
"I didn't lie to you… I just didn't tell you because you were better off not knowing…"
"How was I better off not knowing Wren?"
"You flinched when I got close to you and you're avoiding eye contact. That was what I was trying to avoid." He said.
"How did you expect me to react Wren I just found out things that put into question everything we've been through the past few years."
"I'm not that person anymore. I'm still your best friend, your work colleague, Your housemate you just know about some of my baggage." Wren said.
"Wren baggage is past relationships, trust issues… This… is a whole new side of you." I said.
"Nora you need to calm down."
"I can't fucking calm down Wren, he went to an event hosted by my dad where my soulmate showed up with his new girlfriend and I literally puked and bled because I'm fucking desperate to find the other former brain washed in my life. My life is a fucking shit show and damn it the one constant I could count on turns out to not be as reliable as I thought." I said as my head started hurting and my stomach hurt. "Ah!"
"Nora…" Wren said.
"Shit." I said as I started glowing. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath waited for it to pass.
When I opened my eyes I was at the compound standing in front of my dads.
"Hey kiddo." Rhodey said.
"Hey dads" I said before it all went black.
I woke up because of some annoying beeping. I opened my eyes and groaned at the bright fluorescent lights.
"Uh," I groaned. I sat up and started taking the heart monitor off which of course made the beeping even worse. I leaned over and shut the machine off bad news it made me nauseous. I stood up and ran to the adjoining bathroom. After puking my guts out and a minute of dry heaving there was a knock at the bathroom door.
"Kid, open up." Dad said.
"Give me a minute." I said puking up a bit more. I stood up and rinsed my mouth out before opening the door.
"I got you some clothes, figured it'd be comfier than that." Dad said gesturing to the dress.
"Thanks." I said grabbing the clothes and slip ons. I got dressed and when I got out I saw dad talking to a short Asian lady wearing scrubs.
"Nora, meet Doctor Helen Cho." Dad said.
"Hi." I said.
"Doctor Stark." She greeted.
"It's still Doctor Spencer but Stark does have a nice ring to it." I said and dad smiled. "So am I cleared to get out of here?"
"See for yourself." She said handing me my charts.
"Same as they've always been." I said.
"This is normal?" She said.
"You faint, and puke like this on a normal basis?" dad asked.
"Just today. I stopped a time jump by redirecting an energy pulse toward myself." I said rubbing my eyes.
"You had any other side effects, ringing ears, nose bleeds, blurring eyesight?" dad asked.
"Ringing ears at the party and a nose bleed when I went to the restroom." I said.
"Was this before or after the energy blast?" Dad asked.
"Before it was when Steve went up on the stage." I said. "Probably Aya's way of trying to get me to leave."
"Why didn't you leave?" dad asked.
"I didn't feel like it. I was at a party with my best friend having fun for once," I said.
"What aren't you saying?"
"That's a conversation you have over pizza and wine." I said.
"Friday you heard her." Dad said.
"Pizza will be here in twenty minute." Friday said.
"Yay." I said.
After a check up to make sure I was really okay at Dad's insistence we finally made it back to the common room Rhodey was setting up a movie.
"We got meatlovers, garlic knots and red wine." Rhodey said as we walked in.
"Yum, you forgot to mention how hard it is to get full with cocktail hors'deurvs." I said.
"Which is why I grab a burger or order a pizza afterwards." Dad said grabbing wine glasses.
"Good rule of thumb. I'll remember that for next time." I said.
"So you going to tell us what's going on?" Rhodey asked.
"I kind of got in a fight with Wren. Not so much a fight as I found out some of his major secrets and I didn't exactly react as well as I could have." I said.
"What secret?" dad said.
"Wren is a trained British assassin with a brother he never told me about that wants us both dead and a hit list a mile long that crashed your party." I said.
"Oh, that's a big one." Dad said. "How do you feel about being married to an assassin?"
"Same as I did before I found all of this out." I answered.
"You're joking right?" Rhodey said and I shook my head as I took a sip of wine.
"As horrible as what I'm about to say sounds it's the truth. We all have a past, We've all killed people at some point. Dad you were in the air force, how many people do you think were taken out in those air strikes you were a part of, Or dad how many people did we kill with those weapons we designed. Hell I helped Gramps with the Manhattan project. We may not have given the order or directly pulled the trigger but we did load the gun. So I can't judge Wren for something that wasn't his fault, well not entirely. What I am pissed off about is the fact that he lied to me for almost three years." I said.
"Are you sure you're not in love with him?" Rhodey asked.
"For fucks sake we're just friends." I said.
"Language." Dad said
"Since when do you care about cursing?" I asked.
"He's probably just doing it to spite me." I heard Steve say as he walked in.
"You tried correcting his language? Next time just start a swear jar, you'll get rich quick." I said.
"You should listen to her, as a kid Nora had more cash on her than I did." Rhodey said.
"I'll remember that next time." Steve said. "What movie you watching?"
"Alien." I said taking another sip of wine.
"Sound's good." Steve said
"It is." I said grabbing another slice.
"How's Bucky." I asked.
"Still missing, all the leads have dried up so I'm just waiting around." He said disappointed. So this was before the last time I was here. Good to know.
"I'm sorry." I said. "I'm getting another glass."
I walked over to the kitchen and pulled out another bottle of wine.
"You okay?" Steve asked.
"Yeah, just tired." I said.
"Are you sure cuz…"
"Steve drop it." I said.
"No you can't even look at me Nora." Steve said. "What did I do…"
"Why don't you go make out with your girlfriend? Excuse me I'm spending some quality time with my Dads."
"How did you…"
"Your girlfriend saw my soulmark when I ran into her in the restroom at the masquerade gala and she proceeded to make out with you so I'd see you." I said walking away.
"Sharon knew?" Steve said.
"Unless she's blind, illiterate and stupid she knew." I said. Following that revelation Steve marched out of common room and I went back to watching the movie.
"I need to get laid." I said making both of my dads cough up their drinks.
"Didn't see that coming." Dad said.
"I don't think I want to hear this." Rhodey said.
"I haven't had sex in two and a half years." I said.
"Two years?" dad shouted.
"I know last time was during a time jump with Spangles and that's not happening again." I said.
"In his defense he did think you were dead." Rhodey said.
"I know I'm just hurt. I always knew he would probably date I just never expected to actually witness it." I said.
"So you and Spinster… you never…" dad asked.
"No, we're just friends. It's not that he isn't hot or anything, I mean have you seen that guy in a tux. Like Wow but no, at the end of the day he means too much to me to risk losing him. And the only other guy I've even been on a date with was Wren's evil brother and that was for charity." I said.
"You really need to get laid." Dad said.
"I do."
"But you won't." Dad said. "I know you, you need to feel something in order to get out of your head and actually enjoy it."
"Maybe I should become a nun, that way everyone around me is as sexually deprived as I am." I said.
"Wouldn't you actually have to be religious to pull that off." Rhodey asked.
"Monastery then?" I said.
"All that chanting and quiet." Dad said.
"Uh, never mind. I'll just stick to being sexually frustrated."
"There is the obvious solution." Dad said. "You are married…"
"Nope not happening." I said.
"You could just talk about being friends with benefits." Dad said.
"Have you not seen all those movies and seen how that never works out." I said. "Besides I thought you hated Wren?"
"I didn't hate him I just disapproved of some of the choices you made regarding him." Dad said.
"He totally hated him." Rhodey said.
"Yup." I seconded.
"I didn't hate him." Dad said. "I just didn't like how close you guys were."
"Why?" I said.
"It felt like I was being replaced." Dad said.
"That's the stupidest thing you've ever said." I said
"You guys lived together, looked after each other went out drinking and partied. Did all the stuff I always imagined us doing." Dad said.
"Dad, I could never replace you. You're the OG OG best friend and you're my dad." I said.
"You and Wren literally had conversations just by giving each other looks and not saying a single word." Dad said.
"We met in a war zone. It was for survival." I said.
"You opened up to him so fast." Dad argued.
"That's probably because I met him before he met me." I said.
"What?" He said confused.
"I time jumped to the future when I was in the 1940's and met Wren along with Connor and Jess and Sam's unborn kid. That's why I gave him a chance in the first place. I didn't know exactly how close we were going to be but I knew he was going to be a big part of my life that's why I opened up to Wren." I said.
"Does he know this?" Rhodey asked.
"Yup, he was a bit upset but once he thought things out he realized it didn't change anything so we're good." I said drinking another glass.
"Huh…" dad said. "You guys forgive each other a lot."
"Holding grudges doesn't lead to anything good."
"Really…" Rhodey said giving me a look.
"I know, I'll apologize later." I said.
"I wouldn't" Dad said.
"You would but you'd give him the silent treatment for six months before finally caving." I said.
"What are you going to do about Wren?" Rhodey asked.
"I'm going to apologize for going off on him and tell him how bad he screwed up before coming up with a plan to deal with his brother." I said.
"That sounds like an interesting conversation." Dad said.
"One I never thought I'd be having." I said. "Then again I never thought I'd get to travel through time and look how that worked out." Then I started getting the chills.
"Fuck." I said as I started glowing.
"Good Luck." Dad said.
"Thanks." I said and then I was off. Except when it finally faded I wasn't back in 2014 I was in the 1940's.
"Nora!" Gramps greeted as he pulled me into a hug and twirled me.
"Grandpa, you look happy." I said.
"Of course I'm happy! General McGuiness just died!" Gramps said.
"Why would that make you happy?" I said.
"He's the one that cause all the trouble with the midnight oil." Gramps said.
"Okay I see your point." I said.
"Where did you come from?" Gramps said.
"Seeing my dad ahead of my time. He helped me work through some stuff." I said.
"That's great, how long are you here for?" Gramps said.
"No idea, Aya and I aren't on speaking terms at the moment." I said.
"What happened I thought you were past that."
"I found out that she kept something really big from me and I'm looking for a way to get rid of her… for good." I said.
"I thought that your research on Asgard pretty clearly stated you're stuck with her until she decides to move on?" Gramps said.
"It did but just because they don't have a way doesn't mean I can't invent one of my own. After all I'm a pretty great scientist." I said. "I actually managed to stop a time jump."
"What? That's great!" Gramps said.
"Not really. I redirected an energy pulse towards myself and there were side effects." I said.
"What side effects?"
"Massive migraine, puking, and a nosebleed." I said.
"Whoa."
"Yeah not something I'm doing again unless I absolutely have to." I said
"Good call." He said. "You look exhausted."
"It's been a long day."
"I had a room set up with some of the things from… London. Get some sleep we can talk in the morning, we can even go to the office." Gramps said.
"SHIELD finally has an office?" I asked.
"Course we do." He said. "Let's go to your room."
I followed him down the hallway of the penthouse and into my room. I looked around and saw the photos we had around the apartment were set up around the room. There were even sketches Steve drawn framed and hung up around the room.
"What do you think?" He asked.
"I love it thank you." I said hugging him.
"Get some sleep. We're having brunch at the plaza tomorrow." He said.
"Sounds great." I said.
The Next Morning-
After a late brunch and a few drinks Gramps finally drove us to New Jersey. Well he had Jarvis drive us.
We walked in to the training camp and I saw soldiers being trained.
"This was the start of Project Rebirth." Gramps said. "This was were Steve was trained before the serum."
"Right," I said following him into a warehouse. "This building's in the wrong place."
"It's just a front, come on." Gramps said.
I followed him inside and saw that it was actually an office. I followed him inside and saw everyone briefly look up before going back to work. A few of them lingered a bit longer.
"Hey Rose, is Pegs in?" Gramps asked the receptionist.
"She's in the conference room where you're supposed to be." She answered.
"The board of directors meeting." Gramps said, "That's today?"
"Yes, like it is the first Monday of every month." Rose retorted.
"Oops." He said. "Well come on Nora, Let's go face the firing squad."
"Only founding members allowed." Rose said.
"She is a founding member." Gramps said leading me to the conference room.
As soon as we walked in we were greeted by an unhappy Colonel Phillips.
"Stark, so good of you to show up." He said.
"Starks, actually." Gramps said.
"Well I'll be damned." Dum Dum said.
"Look what the cat dragged in." Peggy said.
"Hi everyone." I said.
"Miss Stark." Colonel Phillips greeted.
"It's actually Doctor Spencer now." I said.
"Should I ask?" He said.
"Better off not knowing." I said.
"Good." He said.
"Can we get this meeting started we have a lot to cover." Peggy said.
We sat down and got started. Most of it was pretty straightforward logistics. Reporting on currently open expense reports. Talking about closed reports, upcoming meetings and new bases that were going to be opened. I was kind of bored until I read one of the files listed as Operation Paperclip.
That sounded familiar from somewhere.
"Last order of business, Operation Paperclip. Over the past five years German Scientists associated with the Third Reich have received their sentences and have either been hanged or extradited to the countries where they have been assigned their serve their sentences. The US department of Defense feels that some of these… doctors can be of strategic value." Colonel Phillips said.
"You want to recruit Nazi scientists." Dum Dum said. I read about this in the history books. The US owes the Nazis the moon landing.
"We've compiled a list of potential assets. We have ten at the top of that lists we need to decide on at once." Peggy said.
"Gustav Kroll, Aeronautics expert." Peggy said.
"Low level but he was head of his department at the University of Berlin." I said.
"All those in favor?" Philips said.
"Aye." Everyone said.
Finally the last one.
"Um there's one last one to consider…" Peggy said.
"Arnim Zola. Swiss…"
"No." I said. "End of discussion. Let him rot."
"Nora…" Gramps said.
"His work with Schmidt on the Super soldier serum and the Tessaract…" Colonel Phillips started before I interrupted again.
"Tessaract?" I said
"Uh, the power source Schmidt was working with to power those weapons with the unique energy signature, I found it when I was looking for the Valkyrie." Gramps said.
"When were you going to tell me?" I said.
"I kind of forgot about it." Gramps said.
"Okay, still doesn't change that we can't recruit him." I said.
"I disagree." Phillips said.
"Please tell me you're joking." I said.
"He worked directly under Schmidt. He knows the super soldier serum better than anyone. If we want to recreate it…" Phillips started.
"Why would we want to recreate it?" I said
"Why wouldn't we?" Gramps argued.
"I thought you learned your lesson after the last time your inventions ran amok." I said.
"I did but just hear him out." Gramps said.
"Okay but I'm just going to remind everyone that the only person that got the serum right is dead and all the cheap knock offs ended up either killing the person injected or driving the person insane and turning their skulls red." I said. "I don't know about you guys but I don't want to start a third world war."
"Nora's right, the serum in the right hands is capable of immeasurable good but in the wrongs hands which is the more likely outcome we'd be dealing with another Schmidt." Peggy said.
"So no more serum." Dum Dum said.
"But Zola does have other knowledge. Knowledge that can be of use to us." Phillips said.
"You already selected nine other former Nazi scientists with superior knowledge. That's more than enough." I said.
"We should consider it. You've seen first hand the things he's built." Phillips said. "It's an option we should consider."
"Okay I considered it. No." I said
"It's not you're choice it's all of ours." Phillips said glaring at me.
"Were you tortured by him? Were any of you? That's right you weren't. Dum Dum you were locked in a cage it's pretty close but not up to par. Were any of you cuffed to a lab table and electrocuted for days on end by that rat just so he could find out how long and how much it would take for me to pass out or die? Did any of you have to watch as he tortured your soulmate and experimented on him while you listened to him scream and beg to let you go until he passed out or was so delirious from exhaustion and dehydration he kept repeating his name rank and number to keep himself from going Insane? Did you get injected with god knows what that made you feel like your skin was on fire or did you feel what it was like to wait around knowing that that weasel was going to walk back into that room and dissect you alive. How about knowing that he's the reason your soulmate fell out of a train in the bloody Alps to his death, and having to bury an empty casket? Oh that's right none of you went through any of that. Unless you went through at least half of that you don't get a vote." I said.
"I vote we end this meeting." Peggy said.
"Seconded." Gramps said. "Meeting Adjourned. See you all next month."
I got up and started getting the chills. "Till next time." I said before glowing and disappearing.
When the light finally faded I was back in my room at the penthouse wearing the dress from the masquerade ball. Why the sudden wardrobe change I'll never know.
I got dressed in some Iron Man pjs, a gag gift from dad, before getting in bed. I laid there for what seemed like hours when I realized I couldn't go to bed letting Wren think I was still mad at him. I heard the faint sound of a TV still on in the room next door. I walked over and knocked on the door. There wasn't an answer but the TV was automatically shut off. I sighed. I opened the door and saw Wren was lying on his side facing away from me. I closed the door and crawled onto the bed. I moved over and hugged Wren from behind.
"I'm sorry I over reacted. It's been a long day and this doesn't change anything. When we got married, even if it wasn't a real marriage I said I'd stick by you in good times and bad and I meant it. I'm not mad you were an assassin or that you've killed people. We've all got a past I get it. The one thing I am mad about is that you kept it a secret. Don't do it again because next time I'm not sure I'll be able to forgive you. Tomorrow we're going to figure out how to deal with Aiden preferably over a big cup of coffee and a carbo-loaded breakfast." I said
I was about to move off the bed when he rolled over and hugged me from behind.
"No more secrets. Promise." He said.
"I'll hold you to it." I said getting up and going back to my room.
Next Morning-
I woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen and saw Wren making eggs.
"Wasn't expecting you up so early." Wren said.
"I slept for a bit in the 1940's." I said.
"That's where you went?"
"I did after I popped in for a visit with my Dads." I answered.
"I forgot to give you this last night." Wren said sliding a flash drive over to me.
"Thanks but we have bigger things to deal with first. Tell me about your brother." I said.
"Aiden. Two years younger than me. Also enhanced. Preferred method of assassination strangulation and makes it look like a suicide. Specialty, infiltration."
"Shapeshifting must come in handy." I said.
"He can make himself look like other people or alter his own shape turning his body into weapons." He said.
"So he doesn't need weapons and he could be hiding in plain sight," I said.
"Pretty much."
"Any known associates… weaknesses, anything we can use?" I said.
"Besides Beth, not really. There are a few people he would go to for black market items but no one he's particularly attached to."
"What would he need the black market for? You said he can turn himself into a weapon." I said
"Black market dealers like to talk. Knowledge is power. Not to mention he's an assassin. How do you think his clients get ahold of him?"
"Then we find his link, cut off his money supply. He sabotaged us let's hit him back."
"That'll just piss him off." Wren said.
"Angry people make stupid mistakes."
"A pissed off assassin is not someone you want after you."
"He's already after us, I'd rather have him come after us under our terms and preferably away from Sam and Jess." I said.
"What were you thinking?"
"We have a two week honeymoon, Two weeks to track him down or do whatever you were planning on doing to deal with him."
"I was going to kill him." Wren said. "Are you okay with that?" Wren didn't crack a smile or give me his usual nonchalant attitude. He was serious. His eyes were cold, like the way they were before we became friends.
"I'll help you find him but I don't think I can kill him." I said.
"You won't have to but I may have to do somethings that you're probably not going to be okay watching. If you want to back out now's the time to do it." Wren said.
"Good times and bad remember?" I said.
"I'm serious Nora. The people Aiden with for aren't street criminals, we're talking human traffickers, mercenaries, people who get off on killing."
"Where do we start?" I said.
After getting the speech of the do's and don'ts while we were out searching for Aiden and we spent thirty minutes debating what I could wear. We finally settled on an all black ensemble of black skinny jeans, a black scoop neck top and a black asymmetrical zipper leather jacket and black leather booties.
Wren teleported us to some back alley somewhere in New York and I followed him out until he stopped in front of some dingy building.
Judging from the no one under 21 allowed sign I guessed it was a bar.
"Sister Margaret's, that's an interesting name for a bar." I said putting my hands inside the jacket pockets.
"I hate nuns." Wren said.
"That's understandable." I said.
"Stay close and if anyone tries to make a pass at you or get's grabby don't hesitate to knock them out just no powers." Wren said.
"Right." I said. "Let's get this over with."